Newspapers in the United States are being urged by a coalition of gun-control groups to stop publishing classified ads for guns, Reuters reported Feb. 21.

The National Campaign to Close the Newspaper Classified Gun Ad Loophole, which is supported by 24 gun-control groups, said the classifieds are a potential source for terrorists to obtain weapons. "This is a patriotic contribution that newspapers can make to the war on terrorism," said the coalition in a statement.

A survey by the coalition looked at 282 newspapers in 16 states. The group found that 77 percent of the newspapers ran classified ads for guns.

"Sales of guns through newspaper classifieds offer the anonymity and ability to avoid law-enforcement checks, which make them a potential source of guns for terrorists," said John Johnson, head of the gun-control group Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence, who organized the campaign.

The Newspaper Association of America, which represents about 2,000 newspapers papers in the nation, declined to comment on the request.